A Conversation with Potential NBA Draft Prospect Dasear Haskins
Dasear Haskins is one of the best NBA prospects you haven't heard of. He's a 6-foot-9 wing who's an incoming freshman at Saint Joseph's University and played at Camden High School this past season alongside DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw.
Haskins averaged 10 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.8 blocks, 0.9 steals and one 3-pointer made per game while averaging 92% from the free-throw line last season. He offers catch-and-shoot ability from deep in addition to versatility defensively due to his length and mobility. He's also shown the ability to attack closeouts and is active both on the glass and off-ball defensively.
He sat down with Draft Digest recently to talk more about his life on and off the court.
In-Depth Scouting Report HERE
Q&A With Dasear Haskins:
1. What inspired you to start playing basketball?
"Really my family. My family put the basketball in my hands when I was really young. I’m the youngest of my family and I’ve seen them all play basketball. My dad and mom both played basketball. That’s what I was born into, so my competitive nature is already there. My uncle bought me my first basketball."
2. Take me outside of basketball for a minute. What do you like to do in your free time at home?
"I really like chilling with family and friends. I’lll play video games with friends sometimes or we’ll be rapping sometimes for fun."
3. What did you learn from your experience at Camden High School, both as a student and a basketball player?
"As a student, it helped me because my school was based on my passion and interests, which are podcasts and communication. Every Wednesday we’d have internship opportunities where we could explore mini-jobs. I did some podcasting on Wednesdays, just learning about things I can do behind the camera and what they do on a daily basis. I’ve been doing it since my freshman year, and I’ll be able to continue this as a Communications major at Saint Joe’s. On the basketball side, Camden changed the speed of my game. I had legendary coaches and a legendary basketball city behind me. You got to be a dog, and our supporters are so passionate."
4. When you guys lose a big game like the Centennial one, how do you make sure you stay focused for the next game -- such as when you guys proceeded to bounce back against Bishop Gorman the following game?
“My competitive nature. As a team, we take losing seriously. It fires the team up, especially when you’re not losing too many. It made us grittier and lit a fire under the team. Our coaches helped out through that.”
5. Who are your favorite artists you listen to before the game?
“Lil Durk, Lil Baby, Meek Mill, and I also listen to some of my friends who rap.”
6. What was your experience like at the Nike EYBL circuit with the New Jersey Scholars? How did that help you grow as both a player and a person?
"As a player, it taught me patience. Our Scholars team had a lot of good players around me and it taught me that my time will come. I loved playing with them, and wouldn’t trade it to play with anyone else. It helped me learn the game from different perspectives."
“As a person, learning from different players and playing in different locations was unique. I like high school better than EYBL because you’re playing in front of your supporters.”
7. What do you wish to accomplish during your time at Saint Joe’s?
“To be the best team we could be and go as far as we can go. We can be a great team, make a good run, and I also want to be the best version of myself and push myself on and off the court.”
8. What skills do you think you can immediately provide to Saint Joe’s? What do you feel are your strengths?
“A winning mentality in the locker room, on and off the court, IQ, great teammate, great person, great player. I’ll do anything to win. My strengths are IQ, shooting, playmaking, and I can bring a lot to the table. What’s most important is being a winner. Coming from a winning program, I know what it takes and know what it looks like.”
9. What have you been working on since the season ended and what areas of your game are you looking to improve?
“I’ve been working on getting stronger to absorb contact at the next level, been trying to tighten my handles, and making sure everything’s sharp.”
10. Is there an NBA player that you would compare yourself to?
“I try to take some of Kobe and Paul George into my game, but I really don’t try to compare myself to NBA players because I want to be different.”
11. Who are some people who have greatly impacted you throughout your life that helped get you to where you are today?
“All my coaches that developed me since I started playing organized basketball. Family, friends, everyone around me.”
12. What are some meaningful experiences that have impacted your life and help motivate you as a basketball player?
“The idea of taking it to the next level, playing middle school was a great experience, then leveling up to high school. Then playing at a national level, getting my first offer and knowing I was going to play Division 1 basketball. Continuously pushing to get to the next level.”
13. What was the best piece of advice anyone has given you about playing basketball?
“When my dad told me: The only person that can stop me is me. The magic is in the work. As long as I keep believing in myself and putting in the work, I can continue to get better and improve.”
14. Anything else you want to add?
"Shoutout Willingboro, New Jersey. That's where I'm from."
Be on the lookout for Haskins to make an immediate impact for Saint Joe's this upcoming season, both on the court and in the locker room.
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